I understand Vince’s thinking . . probably. We have a hard time keeping two vehicles running because we don’t drive them enough. Last Thursday I put the battery minder on my car. Sunday I picked up groceries in Vince’s car. I get groceries every two weeks so that works to keep the Honda battery charged but tomorrow, I have to hook the Highlander up to the battery minder again. I do not like doing that at all. Last time I was doing it, Vince was on the phone with me. I opened the garage door before beginning the process and he asked why. I said “in case I have to run!”
He took the old pickup in and got all kinds of things done to it. Brakes, filters all changed, belts, timing belt if it has that and I would guess it does, thermostat, something fixed with the heater. I can’t remember what all they did but I am quite sure the bill was more than the truck is worth but value is a bit subjective. We are never going to buy a brand new pickup. If we were to buy a used pickup, you almost never know what you’re getting with that. At least with the old pickup, the taxes are less, the insurance (only liability) is less, and no one gets upset if it gets a scratch or dent. For the last 10 years, the pickup has been driven 3 miles to the landfill a couple of times a month and maybe to Home Depot three times a year. So, for our purposes, it’s probably worth fixing and keeping.
When Vince first got back to Texas in mid-December he bought tires. Remember . . the spare was original to the pickup. The other tires . . long story but I had new tires put on the Honda when we lived in MO before. They were so noisy and I hated them so after a few months, we went to a tire shop in Fort Scott or Pittsburg, KS that had been recommended. They told us those were more off road tires and even though they were a bit too small for the pickup, they worked so we put those tires on the pickup and got new tires for the Honda. That had to have been 10 or 11 years ago so after having had the blowout, Vince wasn’t taking any chances so he got five new tires. Then it was pulling to the right so he took it in to get it aligned. On the way home, it was still pulling to the right so he called the alignment place. They said “Bring it back and we’ll check it but it’s probably an issue with the tire.” They wanted to switch the front right tire to the back. Vince said “No! That’s exactly what happened with the tire on the Honda and that’s the tire that blew out” so he went back to Discount Tire and they also wanted to switch that tire to the back. Vince told them he wanted a new tire so they’ve ordered him a new tire.
I think I’ve already mentioned this but the tire that blew out . . Vince called we had to send it back
Then there was a wind whistle around the driver’s side door so he went to the body shop and they had to order some parts. There were bushings or something that were worn completely out so they replaced all those and put new door hinges on and now he has no more wind noise. I seem to remember that even when I drove that truck when it was new, I thought it had more wind noise than it should.
I definitely don’t mind having that pickup for a “go to the landfill” truck or for running to Home Depot, which is much closer here than it was in Texas, but I’m not crazy about him driving it from Texas to here. It’s going to happen though . . if he ever comes back! 🙂
This morning when I sent him pictures of the snow, he said “See why I’m not coming there til March!” I asked “What are you going to do next winter?” He hasn’t figured that out yet! I just don’t see the problem. We can stay in . . we don’t have to go anywhere! And in this part of the country, we have 1 or 2 cold days and then 4 or 5 warm days so just go out and do what you need to do on the warm days and stay inside on the cold days! Seems pretty easy to me.
Nelle Coursey says
That sounds exactly like the weather here. I think you are smart in keeping the pickup. I would be willing to bet since he had all the work done on it, it would make it to MO and you would have a truck if you needed to haul anything or take trash to the dump there. LOL Doubt you would ever have that much trash there!
Susan Nixon says
The pickup sounds like a work project for Vince right now. I stay in when it’s cold or snowy here. I was out yesterday in 64 degrees and sunshine, and I’ll be in tomorrow with 37 and a sunny afternoon. That’s how it works here. As long as it isn’t raining when the overnight goes to 21, I don’t worry too much. =) Schools here already have a snow delay of two hours tomorrow morning because it is switching from rain to snow in the mountains nearby in the early hours of Thursday. I like weather where it never gets cold. I don’t care how hot it gets with no humidity. =)
Karen Sutton says
I think Vince is a lot like Bob – there isn’t a day that Bob doesn’t go somewhere. He can make upteen trips to the hardware stores for one project – plural hardware stores ’cause he’ll start at Ace, move on to Home Depot and finally Menards! He’s at the grocery store most every day – sometimes twice. He gets his truck washed at least once a week and if it’s slushy he’ll get it washed more than once a week. Staying home and going absolutely nowhere for more than one day is torture for him.